Home Office

Offenders: Foreign Nationals

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign national offendersthey haveremoved from the United Kingdom at the conclusion of their custodial sentences in each of the past ten years.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Our priority will always be to keep the British public safe. That is why foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.The table below provides information on the returns of foreign national offenders (FNOs) and those returned under Early Removal Scheme (ERS).Date of returnTotal FNO ReturnsFNOs returned under ERS20145,3951,71720156,0242,03420166,4372,16120176,2922,10620185,5182,11820195,1282,10120202,9441,36420212,7061,19620223,097601Jan 2023 - Sep 20232,801-TOTAL46,34215,398Footnote1: The total returns dataset is from 01 January 2014 to 01 September 2023, in line with published data.2: Available published statistics for ERS are only available up to and including June 2022. The Nationality and Borders Act introduced in April 2022 made it easier and quicker to remove FNOs and those with no right to be in the UK. The Act extended the period an FNO can be removed from prison under the ERS from a maximum of 9 months to 12 months before their custodial sentence would otherwise have ended. New changes, which came into force in January 2024, extended the removal period even further. Removal of FNOs can now take place up to 18 months before the end of the custodial element of their sentence, providing they have served the requisite period before removal can take place.The ERS remains the most effective mechanism for removing eligible FNOs as quickly as possible, freeing up prison beds and saving money.

Metals: Recycling

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government how many unlicensedmetal recyclers have been prosecuted in the past (1) three years, (2) five years, and (3) 10 years; and what steps they are taking to increase the number of prosecutions.

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government whoholds responsibility for tackling unlicensed metal recyclers between the different police services and local authorities.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: We absolutely recognise the distress and disruption metal theft can cause, not only to businesses, but also local communities.The latest published statistics for the year ending March 2023 showed the number of metal theft offences recorded by the police in England and Wales was down by 54% compared with the year ending March 2013.The Government supported the introduction of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 to reverse an upward trend in the level of metal theft through better regulation of the metal recycling sector, making it more difficult to dispose of stolen metal. The 2013 Act requires anyone carrying on business as a scrap metal dealer to be licensed by their local authority. The Act also provides police and licensing authority officers with a power to issue a closure notice if they are satisfied the premises are not licensed but are being used by a scrap metal dealer in the course of business; and to subsequently apply to the magistrates’ court for a closure order.The Home Office continues to work closely with the National Police Chief Councils (NPCC) through the NPCC Metal Crime Steering Group, which brings together partner agencies to ensure a robust response to metal theft.The Home Office also provided funding in the financial year 2020-21 to establish the National Infrastructure Crime Reduction Partnership. The Partnership ensures the national co-ordination of policing and law enforcement partners to tackle metal theft. Membership of the Partnership includes infrastructure companies such as rail, telecoms and utility companies, who work together to monitor trends in metal theft, share intelligence, target offenders and implement crime prevention measures. The Partnership has provided training for over 2000 police officers and other agencies in the responsibilities under the Act and how to enforce it.Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on the ‘Criminal Justice System’ for England and Wales every quarter. This includes ‘summary offences under Scrap Metal Dealers Act’; The statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-june-2023.

British Nationality

Lord Anderson of Ipswich: To ask His Majesty's Government what use, if any, has been made of the power in section 66 of the Immigration Act 2014 to deprive naturalised citizens of their British citizenship even when the consequence is to render them stateless; and what assessment they have made of the utility of that power.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The power to deprive an individual of British citizenship under section 40(4A) of the British Nationality Act 1981 has not been used since its introduction in July 2014. Following the first statutory review of the power, which was published in April 2016, a further review will be undertaken within 12 months of the power first being used.

Asylum: Nicaragua

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany asylum seekers from Nicaragua have arrived in the UK in each year since 2018; and how many of those have been granted asylum so far.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on asylum as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ which is published on gov.uk. Data on asylum applications and initial decisions by nationality are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending December 2023. Please note, the applications data in Asy_D01 relates to applications for asylum – not arrivals. Individuals must be in the country to apply for asylum; some will apply immediately upon arrival, but some may be in the country for a period of time before applying. Arrival information for refugees is not collected as part of the asylum application. Please note that initial decisions in Asy_D02 are based on date of decision and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. For example, a decision in 2023 may relate to an application made in 2022.Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 (xlsx, 10147.5KB)

Treasury

Private Rented Housing: Heating and Insulation

Lord Birt: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to allow landlords of rented properties to claim (1) adding insulation where there was none before, and (2) upgrading a central heating boiler from an older, less efficient model, as expenses.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government continues to support both owner-occupier and private rented sector households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Landlords are therefore eligible to claim support to install low-carbon heating or energy efficiency upgrades in their properties under schemes like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 4.The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.

Credit

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports of the shrinkage of the non-prime lending market, what steps they are taking to ensure that vulnerable customers have access to fair and regulated credit products.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government is committed to taking steps to widen access to affordable credit, and is overseeing a number of initiatives to support this goal.Since 2019, the government has made £100 million of dormant assets funding available to Fair4All Finance to support their work on financial inclusion, and an additional £45 million for initiatives to tackle the elevated cost of living. The government has also provided Fair4AllFinance with £3.8m of funding to pilot a No-interest Loans Scheme, designed for consumers in vulnerable circumstances who would benefit from affordable rather than high-cost credit.As part of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, the government has amended the Credit Unions Act 1979 so that credit unions in Great Britain can offer a wider range of products and services.

Insurance: Greater London

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the liability of the London insurance market for claims arising from the war in Ukraine for the loss of commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Insurance arrangements and claims for commercial aircraft seized or destroyed by the Russian state are a commercial matter between insurers and their insureds. The Government has not made an assessment of the London market’s liability in respect of these aircraft.

Food: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent reduction in grocery price inflation on overall inflationary pressures in the economy.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In January 2024, food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation fell from 8.0% to 6.9%. This contributed -0.11percentage points to the change in headline inflation in January. Food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation has fallen from a peak of 19.1% in March 2023. The fall in the inflation rate over this period has contributed -1.25 to the change in the headline inflation rate.The OBR are the government’s official forecaster and published an updated forecast on March 6th. The OBR forecasts that headline inflation will return to the 2% target next quarter, a year earlier than forecast in November.

Taxis: Taxation

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 13 February (HL2098), when the consultation on the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling will be published.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As announced at Spring Budget, the Government will launch the consultation on the impacts of the July 2023 High Court ruling in Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC in April.

Housing: Sales

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support prospective homebuyersamidst recent increases in house prices.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to making the aspiration of homeownership a reality for as many households as possible and consequently operates a range of schemes that aim to increase the supply of low-deposit mortgages for credit-worthy households, including first-time buyers, increase the availability of new housing, and stimulate economic growth. These include the Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, which is open until the end of June 2025. We also help first-time buyers to save for a deposit through the Lifetime ISA and Help to Buy: ISA.Over 876,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010 through government-backed schemes.

Owner Occupation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to supportproperty owners facing challenges in refinancing against lower property values.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The most comprehensive measure of average house prices in the UK is published by the Office for National Statistics. The vast majority of mortgage lenders have signed a voluntary industry agreement that allows their borrowers to secure a new fixed-rate deal without the need to undertake another affordability assessment.

Credit Cards: Interest Rates

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support consumers facing financial difficulty due to high credit card interest rates and increasing levels of debt.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is committed to helping people in problem debt. This is why the Government continues to maintain record levels of debt advice funding for the provision of debt advice in England through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), with a budget of £92.7 million for 2023-24. Government also launched the Breathing Space scheme in May 2021, providing individuals in problem debt who seek debt advice, with a period of protection from creditor enforcement action.At Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced changes to make it easier to access a Debt Relief Order (DRO) in England and Wales. This included removing the administration fee and widening the eligibility criteria.The Government also aims to ensure that people, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services. Since 2019, the Government has allocated £145 million of dormant assets funding to Fair4All Finance to support the financially excluded.

Business

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group, what steps they are taking to address the chief concerns identified by businesses, such as (1) high energy prices, and (2) taxation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is backing British business, pursuing an ambitious policy agenda to boost growth and productivity. The OBR expects that policies announced at Spring Budget 2024 and in the previous two fiscal events will increase the size of the economy by 0.7% by 2028-29. This is through increasing total hours worked by the equivalent of more than 300,000 full-time workers and boosting business investment by £14 billion.The Government provided an unprecedented package of support for businesses with energy costs through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) and the Energy Bill Discount Scheme. Together these schemes have provided around £7.5 billion to businesses for energy costs. In addition, the British Industry Supercharger, announced in February 2023, will significantly reduce electricity costs for key energy intensive industries such as steel, mining, batteries, and critical minerals.On taxation, at Autumn Statement 2023 the Government made full expensing permanent, representing a tax cut to companies of over £10bn a year, and ensuring the UK has one of the most generous capital allowances regimes in the world. The Government also abolished the obligation to pay Class 2 self-employed NICs. Both announcements demonstrate the Government’s ongoing commitment to tax simplification.  In addition, the Government recognises that accounting for VAT can be a burden on small businesses. This is why we announced at Spring Budget 2024 that the VAT threshold will be raised from £85,000 to £90,000 from 1 April 2024. At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU Member State and the joint highest in the OECD. This keeps the majority UK businesses out of VAT altogether.

Retail Trade: VAT

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they haveany plans to restore VAT free shopping for foreign tourists.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As set out at Spring Budget 2024, the government is considering the findings of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s review of the original costing of the withdrawal of tax-free shopping, published in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 6 March, alongside industry representations and broader data. The Government welcomes further submissions from stakeholders in response to the OBR’s findings. All taxes are kept under review.

Council Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe likely effect on economic growth and productivity of (1) revaluing council tax bands byreference to current market rates, and (2) abolishing stamp duty in favour of a reformed housing taxation arrangement.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government has no current plans to revalue council tax bands by reference to current market rates or to abolish Stamp Duty Land Tax in favour of a reformed housing taxation arrangement. The government continues to keep all tax policy under review.

Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority

Lord Sharkey: To ask His Majesty's Government what, if any, statutory powers they have to issue binding directions to (1) the Financial Conduct Authority, and (2) the Prudential Regulation Authority;and on how many occasions in each year since 2010 they have beenexercised.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Treasury has a limited number of powers to direct the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).It has a power to direct the regulators to take an action if doing so is necessary to fulfil international obligations, or to refrain from action which appears incompatible with international obligations.The Treasury also has powers of direction which are designed to promote the accountability and transparency of the FCA and PRA. These include the power to direct the regulators to:Review specified rules, where doing so is in the public interest;Report on their performance, where necessary for scrutinising the discharge of their functions;Carry out an investigation into a specified event of regulatory failure in certain circumstances, including, in the case of the PRA, where public funds have been expended.These powers have not been used.The Treasury has a power to direct the FCA and PRA to undertake an investigation of relevant events, where it is in the public interest, in certain circumstances. This power has been used twice: in 2018, to direct the PRA to review the events relating to the supervision of the Co-operative Bank, and in 2019, to direct the FCA to review the events relating to the failure of London Capital and Finance.The Treasury does not have direction-making powers in relation to the FCA or the PRA regarding the content of their rules, or their approach to supervision and enforcement.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Alexei Navalny and Yulia Navalnaya

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what reports they have received concerning the circumstances of the death of Alexei Navalny in prison on 16 February; and whether they have been in contact with his widow, Yulia Navalnaya, since then.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 16 February, authorities at the prison colony IK-3 announced the death of Alexei Navalny. His death was confirmed by his family the next day. His body has since been returned to his mother and a funeral, with a heightened police presence, took place on 1 March. The circumstances behind his death remain unclear; the UK Government continues to closely monitor and seek to verify reporting. The UK has condemned the death of Alexei Navalny and called for the Russian authorities responsible to be held to account. The Foreign Secretary has written to Yulia Navalnaya expressing his condolences. On 21 February, the UK was the first nation to introduce sanctions directly in response to Mr Navalny's death. We sanctioned six individuals heading up the penal colony where Alexei Navalny died.

Republic of Ireland: Defence

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Irelandabout the defence of the Western Atlantic.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK and Ireland face a range of common threats to our security. We are committed to a close partnership and discuss a wide range of defence and security issues, including maritime security, underpinned by our Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2015. The Foreign Secretary hosted Micheál Martin, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence and for Foreign Affairs, in London in December.

Nicaragua: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to international bodies since 2018 in relation to the human rights situation in Nicaragua;and what sanctions they have imposed upon those most responsible for human rights violations in Nicaragua since 2018.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The suppression of human rights in Nicaragua has been relentless. The UK will continue to call, in bilateral and multilateral settings, for the Nicaraguan government to respect democracy and human rights. On 29 February, the UK made a statement at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council Interactive Dialogue in response to the UN Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua's latest report. In our statement we urged President Ortega to fully respect the human rights of all its citizens. The UK also co-sponsored the side event 'Attacks on Religious Freedom in Nicaragua' on 7 March. Since 2020 the UK has designated 14 Nicaraguan politicians and senior officials including Vice President Murillo, two Directors General of the National Police and the President of the National Assembly under our Nicaragua sanctions regime for violating human rights, repressing civil society and undermining democratic principles and institutions.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of howmany Rohingya refugees are in Cox’s Bazar; what discussions they have had with the government of Bangladesh concerning (1) the protection of refugees in Cox's Bazar, and (2) future arrangements for their protection.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: According to the latest UN figures, there are 942,776 Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazaar. The UK is committed to improving the security of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and we regularly engage the Government of Bangladesh, UN and NGOs on protection issues. UK funding (over £373 million to the Rohingya response since 2017) includes ongoing support to protection services in the camps. We will continue to monitor the security situation in the camps and raise concerns with the UN and Government of Bangladesh.

Nicaragua: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Nicaraguan regime's attack on religious leaders, journalists, opposition leaders and human rights defenders.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We share widespread international concern about increasing suppression of political rights in Nicaragua. The climate of repression has led to shrinking space for freedom of expression and an independent media, as well as restrictions on the right to peaceful assembly. The detention and expulsion of opposition politicians, activists and members of the clergy are further evidence of the serious democratic crisis in Nicaragua. The UK calls on President Ortega to fully respect the human rights of all citizens and to unconditionally release all political prisoners. We continue to work with international partners to put pressure on the Ortega regime to re-establish democratic and other essential freedoms in Nicaragua.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling: Advertising

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to prevent under-18s from being exposed to gambling advertisement, sponsorship and marketing on social media and online platforms.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: We have struck a balanced and evidence-led approach to gambling advertising which tackles aggressive advertising which is most likely to appeal to children, while recognising that advertising is an entirely legitimate commercial practice for responsible firms.Last year, HM Government published a White Paper on gambling which outlined a comprehensive package of reforms to make gambling safer. This followed an exhaustive assessment of the evidence, including on gambling advertising. We concluded that further action on advertising was needed, which is why we and the Gambling Commission are introducing measures to tackle the most aggressive and harmful advertising practices by preventing bonuses being constructed and targeted in harmful ways, giving customers more control over the marketing they receive, and introducing messaging about the risks associated with gambling.This supplements the already robust rules in place to ensure that gambling advertising is socially responsible and that it cannot be targeted at or strongly appeal to children. This includes specific licence conditions for operators, including the requirement to abide by the UK Advertising Codes, which further regulate how gambling operators advertise. The UK Advertising Codes were strengthened in 2022, with new protections for children and vulnerable adults.

Casement Park: Regeneration

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what financial commitment they will be making to the building of Casement Park in Belfast.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the procurement process for the redevelopment of Casement Park. Funding decisions are therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to consider.We are working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to make sure that EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the whole United Kingdom.

Listed Events Regime: Digital Rights Review

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the results of the Digital Rights Review 2022.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government is undertaking a review to look at whether, in the face of technological change, the objectives of the existing regime are still being met and whether digital rights should now be included in the regime.In considering this issue, it is important that we maintain the right balance between access for audiences and the commercial freedoms which allow rights-holders to reinvest in their sport at all levels. We will publish further details in due course.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dental Services

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the availability of NHS dentistry.

Lord Markham: 18.1 million adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the 24 months up to 30 June 2023, an increase of 1.7 million, or 10%, when compared to the previous year. 6.4 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months up to 30 June 2023, an increase of 800,000, or 14%, when compared to the previous year. Our plan to recover and reform NHS Dentistry will make dental services faster, simpler, and fairer for patients, and will fund around 2.5 million additional appointments, or more than 1.5 million additional courses of dental treatment.Our plan sets out a number of actions which will improve access for patients, by helping the sector to recover activity more quickly, including the introduction of a New Patient Payment Premium of up to £50 for each new patient. This is on top of the funding dental practices already receive for delivering that care. We will further incentivise dentists to do more NHS work by raising the minimum Units of Dental Activity rate to £28. As an additional part of the plan, we will launch a new Golden Hello scheme for dentists who want to move to those areas which persistently struggle to attract dentists into NHS work. We will also deploy dental vans offering appointments to patients in targeted rural and coastal communities who have the most limited access to dentistry, starting later this year.NHS dentists are now required to update their NHS website profiles at least every 90 days to ensure patients have access to up-to-date information on where they can access care. From 1 April 2023, responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.

Dental Health: Children

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made, if any, of the health of children's teeth nationally in England.

Lord Markham: In England, local authorities have the statutory function of assessing the oral health needs of their local populations. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, within the Department, co-ordinates the English National Dental Epidemiology Programme. This programme consists of annual surveys that assess the local oral health needs of specific population groups.Year six schoolchildren were surveyed in 2023, and 16% of them had experienced tooth decay. Among the 16% of children with experience of decay, each child had on average two affected teeth. Five-year-old schoolchildren were surveyed in 2022 and 24% had experienced tooth decay. Among the 24% of children with experience of decay, each child had on average four affected teeth. Three-year-old children were surveyed in 2020 and 11% had experienced tooth decay. Among the 11% of children with experience of decay, each had on average three affected teeth.Our plan to recover and reform NHS Dentistry sets out a new emphasis on prevention and good oral health in children. This includes supporting nurseries and early years settings to incorporate good oral hygiene into daily routines and providing advice to expectant parents on how to protect their baby’s teeth.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) high secure, (2) medium secure, and (3) low secure, mental health service beds are in each integrated care board area of England.

Lord Markham: The following table shows the amount of mental health service beds available, broken down by security level, as well as when the data was last validated: Specialised Mental Health Inpatient ServicesCommissioned BedsLast ValidatedAdult High Secure715October 2022Adult Medium Secure2965March 2021Adult Low Secure3003March 2021Total6683N/ASource: NHS England.

Abortion: Statistics

Lord Jackson of Peterborough: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Markham on 21 February (HL2391), when they expect to publish a definitive analysis of data collected in respect of complications from abortions in England; how such information will be used to inform policy; and why they do not intend to publish it externally.

Lord Markham: The report comparing abortion complications data from the Department’s Abortion Notification System and the Hospital Episode Statistics comprised of official statistics in development, and was published externally.Following the publication, the Department is inviting views from third parties on abortion statistics for England and Wales, including the future publication of abortion complications data via an online user engagement survey, and via email. In regard to the feedback received, it will be reviewed and analysed on an ongoing basis to provide a robust picture of the opinions of those using our statistics, and will inform our decision regarding potential further external publications regarding abortion complications data.

Midwives: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle problems of recruitment and retention of midwives in England to enable every expectant parent and baby to receive the continuity of care model.

Lord Markham: Since 2021 we have invested an additional £165 million a year to improve maternity and neonatal care, rising to an additional £186 million from April 2024. This is improving the quality of care for mothers and babies, and increasing the number of midwifery posts available. As of December 2023, there are 23,361 full time equivalent midwives working in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England, an increase of 3,707, or 18.9%, compared to 2010. The Long Term Workforce Plan sets an ambitious increase in midwifery training places, to 58,000 by 2031/32. We will work towards achieving this by increasing places to over 44,000 by 2028/29. NHS England have introduced measures focused on recruitment and retention, in-line with their three-year maternity delivery plan. This includes establishing a nursing and midwifery retention programme, supporting organisations in assessing themselves against the NHS People Promise, and developing a local retention plan. NHS England is also implementing enhanced continuity of carer for midwifery to ensure safe, consistent, and personalised care in the areas of highest need.

Avoidant/restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Birmingham Food Refusal Service

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the NHS refers patients with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder to the Birmingham Food Refusal Service.

Lord Markham: Commissioning pathways for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) are locally determined, by integrated care boards. NHS England advises that all eating disorder teams should work collaboratively to address coexisting and co-occurring conditions as needed, in accordance with the published national guidance. NHS England recognises the importance of patient-centre care, which ensures that care is tailored to meet the needs of children and young people with varied presentations, including ARFID. The children and young people’s eating disorder guidance is being updated to reflect this, with publication expected later in 2024.

Cabinet Office

Government Departments: Public Consultation

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government to provide an update on the principles or guidelines that are currently in place for the design and execution of public consultations by central Government; and whether the Government holds a cross-departmental register of all consultations across departments and their public bodies.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK Government has a set of consultation principles which give guidance to government departments and other public bodies on the principles they should adopt for engaging with stakeholders on developing policy and legislation.These principles encourage policy makers to consider what they are seeking to achieve through any consultation when determining when, with whom and how to consult. The guidance directs policy teams to design consultations on a case-by-case basis to best engage the cohorts of relevance to the subject of the consultation and gather the best possible information to assist with policy development. The consultation principles were last updated in 2018 and are published on gov.uk at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consultation-principles-guidance A list of policy papers and consultations is also published on gov.uk at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/search/policy-papers-and-consultations

Government Departments: Smoking

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government how many designated smoking and vaping areas are currently located within the central Government administrative estate.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Within the Government Property Agency managed estate there are 6 designated smoking and vaping areas. These are at the following GPA locations:10 South ColonnadeWhitechapel Building70 WhitehallLeicesterStoke on TrentMold These are either legacy arrangements or provided by the superior landlord for all tenants.

Government Departments: Energy

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the central Government administrative estate has installed smart meters.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Within the Government Property Agency managed estate of 65 sites, 100% of these are confirmed to have smart meters installed. Data for other sites would need to be provided by the utility provider or by Departments managing those sites. The transition to a more flexible energy system plays a vital role in decarbonising the Government office portfolio. Smart meters are one simple step on this journey and that is why one of the work streams identified for investment by Government Property Agency is the adoption of programmes to install smart meters and ensure automatic meter readings across their portfolios.

Department for Transport

Tankers: English Channel

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Davies of Gower on 14 February (HL2349), in what form the information on vessel transponders is collected; and where is it published.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Government does not routinely collect information on vessel transponders.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Import Controls

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Neville-Rolfe on 27 December 2023 (HL1079), what assessment they have carried out toinform the conclusion that no differential impact on traffic flows, congestion and emissions has been identified by different levels of user charges.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Charges to recover BCP operating costs for Government-run facilities are due to be published shortly through the Government Response to the “Charging Arrangements at government-run border control posts” consultation. Commercial ports will independently set their own fees which are still being finalised, therefore the impact of different charges at different BCPs on traffic volumes, queues and emissions cannot currently be quantified.

Inland Waterways and Rivers: Dredging

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of dredging rivers and waterways while balancing environmental and habitat considerations; and, in particular, what assessment they have made of how effective this would be for the River Trent.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Environment Agency undertakes dredging (for more information see the Environment Agency Blog on GOV.UK) to manage flood risk where it is technically effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream, and is environmentally acceptable. The effectiveness of such work in managing flood risk varies substantially from site to site. The Environment Agency makes a local assessment working in close consultation with local communities. Historical records and modelling show that in some locations dredging can increase erosion and flood risk for communities downstream and damage wildlife and ecosystems. The Water Environment Regulations 2017 requires Risk Management Authorities to consider the impact of dredging on the ecological health of rivers but does not prevent dredging where it effectively protects people and property. Along the River Trent, dredging is not cost effective as it would only provide a temporary and minimal increase in capacity as natural processes would cause silt to return and accumulate quickly. Additionally, there is the potential for negative impacts on the ecosystem if dredging is carried out. Many communities along the river Trent are well protected through other means such as flood defenses and other river maintenance activities which are more viable and cost effective in the long term.

Agriculture and horticulture: Subsidies

Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of full time equivalent personnel employed by DEFRA to administer farming and horticultural grants and subsidies in England on the latest date for which figures are available.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs. Defra’s Grants Hub data does not hold a ‘Farming & Horticulture’ flag so it would not be possible to quickly pull together a list of schemes in scope of this question. Manually reviewing the schemes and deciding if they fit or not, without a standard definition of what counts as ‘Farming & Horticulture’, would require a degree of personal judgement and therefore yield some inaccuracy. It would then be necessary to validate the list with teams to ensure they are ‘Farming & Horticulture’ grants. From experience of similar requests, this would push the cost to disproportionate (ie greater than the HMT-set limit of £850 for a PQ answer).

Livestock: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what are the current requirements regarding the re-tagging of livestock born in Great Britain andbeing moved to Northern Ireland.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Following work with the livestock sector, an easement negotiated by the Government with the European Commission means that cattle, sheep, or goats that already have UK tags that are moving to Northern Ireland from Great Britain do not now need to be reidentified in Great Britain with either a new pair of ‘GB’ tags or have a third ‘GB’ export tag added. Farmers are now able to move them with their existing 'UK' tags. DAERA website guidance advising keepers that these animals had to be identified with GB tags before they are moved to NI has been removed.

Chemicals

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the chemicals strategy.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment and we will set out our priorities for addressing risks from chemicals in due course.

AquaCultured Seafood: Finance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided public funds towards Aquacultured Seafood Limited for its on-land fish farm in Grimsby; and, if so, how much.

Lord Benyon: Having reviewed our records, we can confirm that Aquacultured Seafood Limited has not received public funding from Defra-managed fisheries funding schemes. Fisheries funding schemes comprise the UK Seafood Fund, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Ammunition: Lead

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask His Majesty's Government on what date they expect to receive the Health and Safety Executive's delayed final restriction opinion in respect of the risks of using lead in ammunition to human health and the environment; and whether they will make and publish their decision on the restriction within three months of receipt of the opinion.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The UK REACH restriction process relating to lead in ammunition was initiated in 2021 by the then Defra Secretary of State, with the agreement of the Scottish and Welsh Governments. This triggered a process under the UK REACH regulations, with the dossier preparation and recommendations process led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE expects to issue their final restriction opinions later this year. The decision to apply any restrictions, or not to do so, will subsequently be made by the Defra Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, and published on GOV.UK.

Aluminium: Recycling

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with the metals recycling industry regarding the impact of introducing a fixed-rate deposit return scheme on the recycling rates of aluminium.

Lord Douglas-Miller: DEFRA engage stakeholders across industry, including material manufacturers and the metals sector.   Regarding the issue of deposit levels, the deposit return scheme will have a central body to manage its operation; this role is to be undertaken by a new industry not-for-profit body, the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO). The DMO will be responsible for setting the deposit level within parameters set out in the regulations. The DMO will be required to consult all those with an interest in the scheme in setting the deposit level(s). The DMO will have the ability to set either a fixed rate or variable rate deposit (which could vary by drinks container size, format or material type).

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to revoke the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989 that regulate sewage sludge and bring sewage sludge regulation within the Environmental Permitting Regime; and if so, when.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Government is working with the Environment Agency to assess the regulatory framework for sludge. We recognise the importance of improving the regulatory framework, however, further work is required before any proposal for change may be progressed.

Bread and Flour: Regulation

Lord Rooker: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Douglas-Miller on 12 February (HL1943), on which date in February they informed the WTO and EU of the proposed changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The UK Government and devolved administrations notified the World Trade Organization of planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 on 9 February 2024 relating to the mandatory fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid. The EU Commission was notified under the Windsor Framework in respect of the same planned amendments in Northern Ireland on 8 February 2024.

Department for Work and Pensions

Iron and Steel: Port Talbot

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they haveto provide support to those whose livelihoods previously relied on employment at the Port Talbot steel works.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stands ready to support anyone affected by redundancy with our Rapid Response Service offer. This is a service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy. This service is co-ordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Delivery partners include Careers Wales, local training providers, Money Helper and ReAct Plus in Wales. The Rapid Response Service offer is flexible and can include a range of options (see below) that can be pulled together into an appropriate support package. This package will be tailored to meet the needs of the employer, the individuals affected and the local community. The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include: Help with job search including CV writing, interview skills, where to find jobs and how to apply for them.Connecting people to jobs in the labour marketHelp to identify transferable skills and skills gaps (linked to the local labour market).What benefits they may get and how to claim. DWP are also working closely with the Transition Board that was established to support the people, businesses and communities affected by the proposals for Tata Steel in Port Talbot.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Caine on 4 March and with regard to paragraphs 54 and 65 of the relevant Supreme Court judgment,whether they canconfirm that the inconsistency between the Acts of Union and the protocol was not at issue before the Supreme Court because the Government did not lodge any cross appeal from the Court of Appeal’s decision that such inconsistency existed.

Lord Caine: The Supreme Court clearly set out in its judgement of 8 February 2023 the issues it considered and its reasoning for reaching the conclusions it did.The Government’s consistent position on these matters is set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, which is that the Windsor Framework (which replaced the old Protocol) applies entirely consistently with Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom, including as expressed in the relevant statute today.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Artificial Intelligence: Finance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in the development of technologies associated with the fourth industrial revolution.

Viscount Camrose: The Science and Technology Framework sets out our plan for investing in 5 critical technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI); engineering biology; future telecommunications semiconductors; and quantum technologies. These have been chosen because they draw on UK strengths and create opportunities for growth, while also supporting national security, and UK goals such as net zero. We have already committed significant investment to those technologies, including £2.5 billion for quantum technologies and £2 billion for semiconductors over the next decade; up to £1 billion through our Semiconductors Strategy; and £1.5 billion in compute infrastructure across the exascale and AI Research Resource (AIRR) programmes.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government, following the request made by the Northern Ireland Executive, what assessment they have made of widening the scope of the legislation to reverse the convictions of sub-postmasters so that applies to Northern Ireland.

Lord Offord of Garvel: Justice is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland. After engagement with interested parties and careful consideration, the Government believe that the approach for overturning the convictions in Scotland and Northern Ireland should be determined by the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive.The Government will continue to work with the Devolved Administrations to enable them to progress their own approaches to overturning convictions in their jurisdictions to ensure equitable outcomes for victims across the UK.Compensation will be paid on a common basis across the UK as postal services are a reserved matter.

Royal Mail: Standards

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Royal Mail is not currently meeting its first-class and second-class letter delivery targets; and what remedial action they intend to take in response.

Lord Offord of Garvel: It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to set and monitor Royal Mail's service standards and decide how to use its powers to investigate and take enforcement action should Royal Mail fail to achieve its obligations without good justification.In its investigation into quality of service performance for 2022-23, Ofcom found Royal Mail had contravened its service conditions and therefore imposed a £5.6 million fine on the business. Ofcom has committed to closely monitoring Royal Mail's performance and the steps it is taking to return delivery offices to pre-pandemic practices.